On Apr. 19, 2021, the Mayo Clinic announced a study that bolstered evidence that colorectal cancer is often imprinted in family genes and passed on from one generation to the next.

In the study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers found 1 in 6 patients with colorectal cancer had an inherited cancer-related gene mutation, which likely predisposed them to the disease. In addition, the researchers discovered that 60% of these cases would not have been detected if relying on a standard guideline-based approach.